Sydney Track Classic Explained

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  1. FE9A2E
Date:February/March
Location:Sydney, Australia
Type:Track and field

The Sydney Track Classic is an annual outdoor track and field meeting held in February or March at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre in the suburb of Sydney Olympic Park in Sydney, Australia. It is part of the national Australian Athletics Tour, alongside the Melbourne Track Classic.[1] [2]

The history of the event emerged from a series of major athletics meetings which were held in the 1990s.[3] The 1999 competition was the opening leg of the IAAF Grand Prix circuit and it formed part of the preparation towards the 2000 Sydney Olympics.[4] The meeting was abandoned in 2002, but events hosted by the Sydney University Athletics Club and Athletics New South Wales saw the Sydney Track Classic restored in 2006.[3]

By 2009 the competition was attracting top level domestic athletes (such as Steve Hooker and Sally McLellan) as well as a number of high-profile foreign athletes (including Asafa Powell, Melaine Walker, and Valerie Vili).[5] The meeting was ranked first domestically for the level of performances that year.[3] Hooker, Dani Samuels and Tero Pitkämäki provided the highlights of the 2010 edition,[6] while Mitchell Watt and David Rudisha topped the bill in 2011.[7]

In 2020 the meeting kicked off the inaugural World Athletics Continental Tour.[8]

Editions

Sydney Track Classic editions
YearTitleVenueDateStatus
1980Alcoa Challenge Series - SydneyES Marks Field30 December 1979
1981Alcoa Challenge Series - SydneyES Marks Field8 March 1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989AIS Drug Offensive8 February 1989
1990Commonwealth Challenge14 January 1990
1991Mobil Grand Prix20 January 1991
1992Sugar Games25 January 1992
1993Sugar Games23 January 1993
1994Mars Challenge30 January 1994
1995Optus Grand Prix Final - Sydney21 March 1995
1996Optus Grand Prix - Sydney11 February 1996
1997Optus Grand Prix - SydneySydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre27 January 1997
1998Sydney Track TourSydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre28 February 1998
1999Optus Grand Prix - SydneySydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre20 February 1999
2000Optus Grand Prix - SydneySydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre13 February 2000
2001Telstra Athletics Grand Prix - SydneySydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre16 February 2001
2002
2003Telstra A-series - SydneySydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre22 March 2003
2004
2005
2006
2007Telstra A series - SydneySydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre17 February 2007
2008Sydney Athletics Grand PrixSydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre12 January 2008
(Sydney Track Classic?)
16 February 2008
2009Sydney GP Series MeetSydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre28 February 2009
2010Sydney Track ClassicSydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre27 February 2010
2011Sydney Track ClassicSydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre19 March 2011
2012Sydney Track ClassicSydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre18 February 2012
2013Sydney Track ClassicSydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre9 March 2013
2014Sydney Track ClassicSydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre15 March 2014
2015Sydney Track ClassicSydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre15 March 2015
2016Sydney Track ClassicSydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre19 March 2016
2017
2018
2019Sydney Track ClassicSydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre23 February 2019
2020Sydney Track ClassicSydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre22 February 2020Continental Tour Bronze
2021Sydney Track ClassicSydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre13 March 2021Continental Tour Bronze
2022Sydney Track ClassicSydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre12 March 2022Continental Tour Bronze
2023Sydney Track ClassicSydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre11 March 2023Continental Tour Challenger
2024Sydney Track ClassicES Marks Field23 March 2024Continental Tour Challenger

Meeting records

Men

Men's meeting records of the Sydney Track Classic
EventRecordAthleteNationalityDate
100 m9.94Frankie Fredericks1999
200 m20.42 LaShawn Merritt15 March 2014[9]
400 m44.65Fred Kerley11 March 2023[10]
800 m1:43.15David Rudisha2010
1500 m3:32.55William Chirchir2000
3000 m7:46.38Cameron Myers23 March 2024[11]
5000 m13:29.99Matthew Ramsden13 March 2021[12]
110 m hurdles13.25 Rachid Muratake11 March 2023[13]
400 m hurdles48.49Bryan Bronson1998
3000 m steeplechase8:19.14Julius Kipchoge2012
High jump2.31 mCharles Austin1998
Pole vault5.95 mSteven Hooker2009[14]
Long jump7.88 Jalen Rucker11 March 2023[15]
Triple jump17.28 mJustin Anlezark1996
Shot put17.77 mAiden Harvey11 March 2023[16]
Hammer throw68.44 mNed Weatherley11 March 2023[17]
Javelin throw85.28 mAndrew Currey2000
4 × 100 m relay38.50Jake Doran
Jacob Despard
Calab Law
Rohan Browning		11 March 2023[18]

Women

Men's meeting records of the Sydney Track Classic
EventRecordAthleteNationalityDate
100 m10.97 Zoe Hobbs11 March 2023[19]
200 m21.98Marion Jones1998
400 m50.43Jana Pittman2003
800 m1:58.62Abbey Caldwell11 March 2023[20]
1500 m4:10.37Heidi See19 March 2016[21]
3000 m8:31.81Jessica Hull11 March 2023[22]
5000 m15:04.07Mercy Cherono15 March 2014[23]
100 m hurdles12.70 Michelle Jenneke11 March 2023[24]
400 m hurdles54.64Jana Pittman2003
High jump1.94 mNicola Olyslagers11 March 2023[25]
Pole vault4.82 mNina Kennedy13 March 2021[26]
Long jump6.76 mNicole Boegman1996
Triple jump13.77 mNicole Mladenis2004
Shot put20.67 mValerie Adams2012
Discus throw66.21 mDani Samuels14 March 2015[27]
Hammer throw69.71 m Bronwyn Eagles2003 [28]
Javelin throw64.84 m Kathryn Mitchell17 March 2018 [29]
4 × 100 m relay42.94Ebony Lane
Bree Masters
Ella Connolly
Torrie Lewis		23 March 2024[30]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.athletics.com.au//competition/2011_australian_athletics_tour 2011 Australian Athletics Tour
  2. http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=55407.html Neville to test Australia’s 400m stocks in Sydney and Melbourne – IAAF World Challenge
  3. http://www.sydneytrackclassic.com/information/history/ History
  4. http://www.iaaf.org/news/newsid=15391.html Grand Prix Calendar 2000
  5. Hurst, Mike (2009-02-29). Huge 400m PB for Powell, but local heroes by no means upstaged in Sydney. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-03-24.
  6. Hurst, Mike (2010-02-27).Hooker and Samuels and visitors Pitkämäki and Vili shine at high class Sydney Classic. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-03-24.
  7. Tarbotton, David & Green, Lloyd (2011-03-19). Watt sails 8.38m while Rudisha cruises in Sydney. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-03-24.
  8. News: Inaugural World Athletics Continental Tour to kick off this weekend. World Athletics. 21 February 2020. 23 March 2020.
  9. Web site: Sydney Track Classic 2014 Complete Results. Athletics Australia. 15 March 2014. 16 March 2014.
  10. News: 2023 Sydney Track Classic Results. 5. Athletics Australia. 11 March 2023. 19 March 2023.
  11. Web site: Men's 3000m Results. World Athletics. 23 March 2024. 25 March 2024.
  12. News: Stevens returns, Kennedy breaks Australian pole vault record in Sydney. World Athletics. Len Johnson. 13 March 2021. 14 March 2021.
  13. News: 2023 Sydney Track Classic Results. 6. Athletics Australia. 11 March 2023. 19 March 2023.
  14. http://athletics.com.au/Portals/56/Competition/2015%20STC%20Full%20Results.pdf Sydney Track Classic Results
  15. News: 2023 Sydney Track Classic Results. 7. Athletics Australia. 11 March 2023. 19 March 2023.
  16. News: 2023 Sydney Track Classic Results. 7. Athletics Australia. 11 March 2023. 19 March 2023.
  17. News: 2023 Sydney Track Classic Results. 7. Athletics Australia. 11 March 2023. 19 March 2023.
  18. News: 2023 Sydney Track Classic Results. 6. Athletics Australia. 11 March 2023. 19 March 2023.
  19. News: HISTORY FOR HULL AND HOBBS AS KERLEY SAYS FAREWELL. Athletics Australia. 11 March 2023. 19 March 2023.
  20. News: HISTORY FOR HULL AND HOBBS AS KERLEY SAYS FAREWELL. Athletics Australia. 11 March 2023. 19 March 2023.
  21. Web site: Sydney Track Classic 2016 Complete Results. Athletics Australia. 19 March 2016. 19 March 2016.
  22. News: HISTORY FOR HULL AND HOBBS AS KERLEY SAYS FAREWELL. Athletics Australia. 11 March 2023. 19 March 2023.
  23. Web site: Sydney Track Classic 2014 Complete Results. Athletics Australia. 15 March 2014. 16 March 2014.
  24. News: HISTORY FOR HULL AND HOBBS AS KERLEY SAYS FAREWELL. Athletics Australia. 11 March 2023. 19 March 2023.
  25. News: 2023 Sydney Track Classic Results. 3. Athletics Australia. 11 March 2023. 19 March 2023.
  26. News: Stevens returns, Kennedy breaks Australian pole vault record in Sydney. World Athletics. Len Johnson. 13 March 2021. 14 March 2021.
  27. News: Rudisha opens with Impressive 1:45.01 in Sydney. IAAF. Len Johnson. 14 March 2015. 14 March 2015.
  28. http://athletics.com.au/Portals/56/Competition/2015%20STC%20Full%20Results.pdf Sydney Track Classic Results
  29. Web site: Javelin Throw Results. Athletics Australia. 14 March 2015. 14 March 2015.
  30. Web site: Women's 4×100m Relay Results. World Athletics. 23 March 2024. 24 March 2024.

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